giant_ds3

I have been riding hard for about a year. 125-350 miles a week. At least thats a lot to me!!!! Anyway, Time and time again, i have noticed my performance and general sense of well being, is always, without exception, better when i only eat a light breakfast and eat nothing during my bikeride. sometimes i ride 5-6 hours 88-110 miles at a time. And each and every time i eat something during the ride, it just slows me down, even when i only eat a sandwich. I also noticed that when i dont drink a lot of water my speed and endurance is better. can any of you relate to this??? Every thing i have read says to eat a lot of this and that and drink a lot of water, but those things make me slow and lethargic. Are there any other one meal a day ppl out there???

dexmax

well, after two hours without water and food, I already feel very thirsty and my performance drops..
I don't eat sandwiches when on a ride though.. it tends to make me feel full and ruins my ride.. Instead I bring chocolate, or banana. I eat every two hours and continuously sip water, about every 10-15mins apart.

If you're not going to drink water, at least hydrate before the ride.. about 1.5-2liters of water at least 2hrs before the ride.

When on the ride, don't drink more than 1.5 liters per hour.. It will just be a waste since your body will only be absorbing 1-1.5liters effectively in an hour. Drinking too much water slows me down too. It also dilutes Na in your body, so its always good to carry a salty snack..

Xtrmyorick

Or drink Gatorade or a similar sports drink. They have Na+ and K+ in them.

dexmax

agreed!

so, no need to carry salty snacks and bananas anymore..

ah, cycling.. my excuse to eat all the chocolate i want...

Swimjim

One meal a day. That reminds of a song Groucho Marx used to sing about a family of moochers who ate one meal a day. They started in the morning and finished at night.
Seriously though while your riding hydration is very important. Each individual is a little different. Some will cramp up severely if they don't drink enough. On short rides I usually have a banana before I go. Over fifty miles though packing a banana for the road or bringing an energy bar is a good idea so you don't bonk. If you feel eating a sandwich slows you down, try something a little lighter. Some people will stop and eat half an energy bar for instance. You'll have to experiment a little to find out whats right for you. Bear in mind that your requirements may also change over time and from different conditions. Listen to your body, it will tell you.

Good luck

Jim

Maelstrom 

No. The opposite. Currently I only do 3 to 5 meals but at my peak of weight lifting I ate on average 6 or 7 times (3 snacks and 3 meals). 1 meal a day and I would loose all muscle, look like a twig, and feel like a pile of ass

Zin

3 meals & 3 snacks. They all differ according to the game plan for the day. For me it is an excercise in blood glucose stablization. More excercise for the day means an increase in complex carbs and water. Less active days see a reduction back to "normal" carb intake.

iamlucky13

If I don't eat three meals a day I get lightheaded and lethargic and I don't retain water (bad when riding).

If I'm doing heavy physical activity for more than a couple hours, I need snacks as well, but more than a small portion slows me down. As for hydration, I like to make lemonade with salt to put in my water bottle. That and a bannana is probably the best method short of sports drinks for going for more than 2 hours at a stretch.

MikeOK

Yo giant - I am kinda like you, I really don't like to eat no matter how far I go. I've tried eating lots of different things and about every possible timing you can imagine, and it never fails, I always feel like poop for 30 minutes or so after I eat. That is unusual though, most people I ride with eat on scheduled intervals thoughout a ride. I have found that I am best off if I eat a huge meal 2-3 hours before a big effort, than only drink water or maybe diluted juice or All Sport through the ride, nothing more.

Usually when I do something over 4 hours or so I will eat something like a Granola bar or a banana, but really just because I know I need it. I've never felt any increase of performance after eating, in fact just the opposite usually.

roadbuzz

Interesting. What all have you tried eating? And maybe drinking something else besides, or in addition to, water?

Still, if what you're doing works for you, what's not to like?